Do you feel guilty when you take a break?
Some days you wake up and your body is not feeling it.
Maybe you’re sick.
Maybe you feel sore.
Maybe you’re stressed from work.
And usually on those days, you feel tempted to skip your exercise or workout.
And then you feel guilty. And it sucks that we’re conditioned to feel bad for considering skipping a workout or taking a day off.
Today’s issue is in praise of Rest
What Does Rest do For Your Fitness?
In one word: Adaptation
When you exercise, whether strength training, cardio, or both, you’re stressing your body.
This stress disrupts your body’s homeostasis, so it says:
“I should adapt- in case this happens again.”
That’s Adaptation.
And Adaptation occurs during recovery, not during the stress itself.
When You’re Too Stressed to Adapt
In sports, we call this overtraining.
It’s basically too much stress and not enough rest.
And Overtraining has adverse effects on your body and mind:
- Decreased Performance: Your performance declines despite more effort.
- Increased Injury Risk: Overtrained muscles are more susceptible to strains, sprains, and injuries.
- Hormonal Imbalance: Overtraining can disrupt hormonal balance, leading to insomnia, weight gain, and fatigue.
- Mental Health Issues: Prolonged physical stress without adequate recovery can cause mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
How to Master Self-Regulation
“But Coach, how do I know if I need rest or if I’m just avoiding effort?”
Practice noticing the difference between fatigue and laziness.
I’m sure you’ve experienced this:
- You wake up.
- You don’t feel like exercising.
- And today you chose not to go.
- Later in the day you reflect and say,
- “I was right to take a rest today. I really needed that”
- OR
- “Hmm, I think today I could’ve done a workout. My body isn’t really sore.”
In the moment, it’s really hard to tell.
But usually looking back, we have some idea of what was really going on.
Learning to listen to your body is a skill that takes time to develop. Keep a journal of your physical and mental conditions, noting how you feel before and after workouts.
Over time, patterns will emerge that help you distinguish between genuine fatigue and mere lack of motivation.
Trust your instincts and remember that rest is a vital component of any fitness regimen.
If you’re genuinely tired and sore, prioritize rest.
If you’re feeling unmotivated, a light activity or a change in routine may be the boost you need.